Improvement in machines for compressing the cylinders of casks upon their heads to



STATES NETE PATENr @riviera WILLIAM REID, OFNVEST ARLINGTON, VERMONT.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR COMPRESSING THE CYLINDERS 0F CASKS UPON THEIR HEADS TO FORM A TIGHT BARREL.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,363, dated rJune 5, 1866.

To all 'whom it may concern Beit known that I, WILLIAM REID, of West Arlington, in the county ot' Washington and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machinery for Securing the Heads and Bottoms in the Shells of Gasks and other Coopers Wares; and I do hereby declare that the following` is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a plan, Fig. 2 an elevation, and Fig. 3 a vertical section, of the machine.

The same letters indicate like parts in all the iigures.

The object of my said invention is to apply pressure to the outer circumference of the shells in the manufacture of seamless casks, kegs, and other vessels, which have heretofore been generally made of staves, for the purpose of reducing the diameter at one or both ends to brin g the croze into close contact with and secure the headsv or bottoms therein, preparatory to putting on the hoops.

In the accompanying drawings I have represented my improved machinery as applied to securing the bottoms in tubs or pails.

In the accompanying` drawings, a represents a suitable frame, and b a metallic ring firmly secured to the top or table of the said frame. To recesses in the upper surface ot' this ring are fitted six (more or less) plates, c, so that they can slide toward and from the center, and the inner ends, d, of these segments are so formed that when all of them are forced inward until their edges touchthey form together a conical hole of the shape and diameter of the end of the tub or other article after it has been compressed. These segments have each a spur, e, projecting` from the upper surface of their plates, and extending into an eccentric mortise, f, in a ring, g, there being one such mortise, f, for each segment. The ring gis formed with a rabbet near the outer edge, as at h, to fit a projecting iange, t', of the ring b, before described, so that by ahandle, j,- the said ring g can be turned in either direction on the bottom ring, b, so that by the action of the eccentric mortises on the spurs of the segments c these latter can be forced in or drawn out in the manner of an eccentric chuck, such as are used on lathes for griping articles to be turned.

The ringg is held down on the ring b by screws 7c tapped into the iiange i of the rings b, their ends extending into a groove in the periphery of the rabbeted part of the ring g. The shell of a tub is placed vertically ou a disk, l, which is hinged to a hand-lever, m, and lifted up until the end projects as far above the circle formed by the segmen ts as the width of the hoop to be put on. The bottom is then introduced and supported in place by arod, n, which is hinged to another lever, o, and which passes up through a central hole in the disk Z and lever m. The bottomsshould be so held as to be in line with the croze in the shell, and then the ring g is turned in the direction of the arrow, which forces all the segments simultaneously inward against the outer surface of the shell, thereby compressing the wood and reducing the diameter until the inner circumference is brought into close contact with the edge of the bottom. rIhe compressing action of the segments will not only compress that portion ofthe shell which is within them, but also the part projecting above them, a regular taper being thereby produced. A hoop is then driven onto the end of the shell projecting after this the ring g is turned in the opposite direction to withdraw the segments, that the tub may be taken out.

The operation is effected in like manner for inserting and securing the heads in `casks and kegs, except that the rod n can be used only for inserting the head at one end. For many purposes kegs are required to'have a bunghole in one head, and for that kind the second head is held by inserting the finger in the hole while the shell is compressed; but inother cases it is held by any suitable instrument driven into the wood sufficiently to hold it.

Instead of effecting the compression by forcing the segments inward against the shell, the same result may be effected by first closing the segments and forcing the end of the shell into the conical hole formed by the ring of segments, and after the compression and hooping have been effected opening the ring of segments to admit of removing the hooped article.

I have contemplated applying the lprinciple or mode of operation of my said invention so as to compress both ends of the shell onto the heads at the same time by using two sets of segments and appendages, arranged in vertical planes and mounted on puppets, one or both of which shall be movable, so that they can be separated to a sufficient distance to permit the shell to be introduced between them, and then moved over the ends of the shell to effect the compression. The two heads can be held by suitable clamps on sliding puppets, or on the end of rods sliding` in suitable puppets to admit of inserting and holding them in the required positions during the compressing operation. i

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The conical ring, composed of sliding segments, operated substantially as described, for compressing the shell, in combination with the movable disk, or equivalent thereof, for holding and controlling the shell to be compressed, substantially as described.

WILLIAM REID.

Witnesses:

ANDREW DE LACY, WM. H. Blsnor. 

